Convert Your Wood Fireplace To Gas For More Convenience
If you're tired of dealing with the soot, ash and mess of a wood fireplace, consider changing it to one of the easier gas options. You'll have instant access to a roaring fire that looks realistic with the same warmth as wood. Stop hauling wood into your house with one of the following fireplace conversion options.
Gas Supply Options
First, decide how you want to get the gas to your fireplace. If you already have a natural gas line running to your home, call in a gas or electrical contractor to extend the line to your fireplace. If there is no gas line in your home, you can use liquid propane gas. This works by running a line from the fireplace to a tank of LP gas outside of your home.
Fireplace Options
You have a choice from three conversions options. They differ in the appearance of the fire and the quality of heat you get from the fire.
Vented Gas Logs - This uses realistic-looking gas logs, from retailers like Hearth and Patio, which sit in your existing fireplace. The logs are made of heat-proof ceramic and come in various sizes. The more realistic the logs look, the higher the price. Hidden gas jets in the logs connect to your gas line. You start the fire by turning on the gas and touching a lighted match to the jets. Some high-end models use an electric starter so you can have a fire at the touch of a switch. The fire flickers across the gas logs and looks like a real wood fire, but the heat produced by the gas is less than with wood.
Vent-Less Gas Fireplace - This is a unit that is placed within your fireplace. The flue does not need to be open because the fumes created by this gas fire are very low. This means more of the heat makes it into your home than with gas logs. While giving you more heat, these units don't look as realistic as gas logs. You can also only run these for short periods because of the fumes that do make it into your house.
Gas Fireplace Insert - This is also a unit that slips into your existing fireplace. Unlike the vent-less models, it does use your flue to remove fumes produced by the gas fire. This is considered a closed system with air being pulled in to fuel the fire and exhaust fumes pushed out of the flue. Glass doors in front of the unit seal it so you don't get the look of a real fire. But you get more heat than the other styles, with a few models using blowers to force the heat out into the house. With these inserts, you can leave them running for long periods.
If you're tired of dealing with your wood-burning fireplace, don't give up on having a fire. Consider one of these maintenance-free gas options and continue using the fireplace to keep your home warm on those cool nights.